‘Namaste Wahala is a cross-cultural story’

ACTOR Ruslaan Mumtaaz says he was surprised to know that his Nigerian co-actors from Netflix’s cross-cultural romance Namaste Wahala, who are immensely popular in their native country, were fond of Bollywood and Indian film stars, especially Amitabh Bachchan.

The film is directed by Indian-Nigerian restaurant owner Hamisha Daryani Ahuja and features Mumtaz opposite Nigerian actor Ini Dima-Okojie, 30.

The love story revolves around a Nigerian lawyer and an Indian investment banker, who faces resistance from their parents but finally manage to get the seal of approval.

The 38-year-old actor said he bagged the movie through costume designer Rahil Raja, who had forwarded his pictures to the director and she thought he was perfect for the part.

‘She looked at my picture and said I look like a Bollywood actor. Then she asked for more videos, which Raja sent her... It was a month long shoot in Africa for African audiences with only two Indian actors, me and Sujata Sehgal, who plays my mother in the film.’

Namaste Wahala features Nigerian superstars Richard Mofe-Damijo and Joke Silva, both 59, as Dima-Okojie’s on-screen parents. The word Wahala translates as trouble.

Raja, who also worked as the costume designer on the film, told Mumtaz that it was a big project and his co-actors are huge stars in Nigeria.

‘He told me Mofe-Damijo and Silva are the equivalents of Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini in Nigeria. He shared pictures and profiles of everybody,’ the actor, son of veteran artiste Anjana Mumtaz, said.

Mumtaz, known for his Bollywood projects Teree Sang: A Kidult Love Story, Dangerous Ishq, and Yeh Saali Aashiqui, said he was surprised that he did not have to explain anything about Bollywood to his co-stars.